


Cold Hands

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AKA Dipper is a poor lovesick nerd and Bill is kind of clueless: the fic, Fluff, Human!Bill, M/M, Older!Dipper, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 18:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4797161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Why do you keep doing that?”</p>
<p>Hand holding? Without deal making? Blasphemous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Hands

“Why do you keep doing that?”

The question cuts through the tranquil silence without warning, and Dipper swears even the crickets around them momentarily pause in their chirping. Reluctant to tear his gaze away from the bright lights streaking through the sky above- it was Bill's idea to watch the meteor shower in the first place, so he's slightly miffed that the demon has apparently decided to ruin it- the brunet just barely manages to hold back a sigh. “Doing what?” He asks, as innocently as he can manage, which really isn't much considering they both know what the blond was referring to. Maybe if he dances around the question, Bill will just drop it and they can go back to doing what they had been doing moments prior- which was more or less staring up in silence, but it was a _comfortable_ silence that Dipper finds himself missing more and more as the seconds tick slowly on by.

And maybe Waddles will spontaneously sprout wings without warning one day and miraculously become capable of flight. It could happen.

“You know what.” And the brunet doesn't need to look over, because he can imagine the look on his face quite clearly, all pouting and indignant with his eye narrowed irritably. “Don't play dumb with me, Pine Tree, I know you keep,” a brief pause, “touching me. On purpose.”

His breath hitches in his throat; oh no, this is awkward. Bitterly, he can't help but think to himself that he _must_ be accustomed to this sort of thing by now, but that doesn't change the fact that it's all so incredibly, terribly awkward and there's a dream demon determined to burn a hole in the side of his face with the intensity of his stare. He can feel his cheeks go a tad too warm for comfort, and briefly Dipper can't help but feel grateful that it's nighttime. At least until a tiny part of him raises the question of just how well Bill can see in the dark, anyways. 

“No- _thing._ ” He winces when his voice briefly cracks, and the blond makes a frustrated, disbelieving sound under his breath. “I just,” _come on, Dipper, you can do it,_ “wanted to hold your hand. Kinda. Maybe.” He breathes a shaky laugh, still pointedly keeping his gaze directed away from the demon's face. He isn't even paying much attention to the meteor shower by now, but it's at least a good for an excuse. “Yeah, sorry, that's probably really stupid. I know it's stupid- hey, just forget I ever said anyth-”

“Pine Tree...” Bill begins, and his voice is enough to mercifully cut Dipper off mid-ramble. Finally, the teen dares a glance at his companion, and his eyes widen at the enthusiasm splayed across his features, practically glowing with anticipation. “Are you saying you want to make a deal with me?”

“ _What?!_ ” Dipper physically recoils in response, taking a step back and ignoring the way it causes the blond's face to twist with confusion. “No, I- I just wanted you to hold my hand. You know?” It comes off as more of a question than a statement, which makes sense, because he's abruptly coming to the realization that maybe the only sort of hand holding the demon knows of- and is interested in, for that matter- involves magical flames and shady deals. His face burns with embarrassment at the thought- how could he have looked _that_ over?

“What do you want me to do with it?” If Dipper wasn't practically burning with embarrassment, he probably would have laughed at the demon's tone.

“Hold it. Just...” The brunet tries to show him what he means with his own two hands, but it's awkward, and he's pretty sure he only succeeds in confusing Bill more. “Something like that. It's a human thing; I guess you wouldn't really understand it.”

For a moment, the blond looks almost offended at the thought, before a more neutral expression slides into place. “I probably wouldn't want to do that anyways. It sounds really stupid, Pine Tree.” He speaks rather flippantly, though that doesn't stop something in Dipper's chest from clenching painfully in response.

“Oh.”

It's too much to hope that the demon would drop the subject after that. “I mean, human hands are filthy! Do you know where they've been?”

“Bill.”

“I bet your palms would probably get all sweaty after a while, too. Aw, _yuck!_ What kind of twisted weirdo comes up with something like that?”

“ _Bill!_ ” The shout, at least, is enough to get his attention. Something that, while Dipper was scrambling to get, doesn't quite know what to do with now that he has it. “I wanted... I was just trying to be _romantic,_ alright?!” He turns away abruptly before he can catch a glimpse of Bill's face, the shame making him fidgety. “Like I said, it's really dumb. Just forget I ever did anything; I won't try it again if you don't like it.”

The silence between them is heavy and uncomfortable, the complete opposite of what it had been a few minutes prior. Dipper knows he's sulking, knows it's a stupid thing to sulk over and knows that he should really stop, but he can't bring himself to do it. It's not Bill's fault- not exactly, anyways- but that doesn't take the sting away from the obvious rejection.

He sighs and turns his gaze upwards, suddenly determined to salvage the night somehow, but is distracted when his hand is enveloped in warmth. He looks down, then looks up and arches an eyebrow at his demonic companion, not exactly unhappy, but undeniably confused by this new development.

“Your hands are cold.” Bill explains casually, reaching over to grab Dipper's other hand. “As funny as it would be to watch you struggle with the effects of frostbite, it would _probably_ get really boring really quickly.” It's not even that cold outside, and the brunet is sure that they both already know this, but he isn't going to try to call the demon on it and ruin the moment. Bill's skin is inhumanly warm, though not unpleasantly so, and despite his earlier anxiety, he feels himself relax almost effortlessly at the blond's touch.

“... Yeah.” Dipper says, blinking slowly as though coming out of a trance. “That makes sense. Thanks, Bill.”

They don't speak much more after that, though at some point Bill ends up behind him and Dipper makes use of his chest as a pillow, somehow without letting go of each other's hands. The brunet doesn't really put much thought into the matter; he simply looks up at the light-filled sky, smiles quietly to himself and thinks that there's no place in the world he would rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this was just the most spontaneous little drabble ever, but it's cute and I'm still in my eternal struggle to successfully write shorter stories, so!


End file.
